


Divine Assurances

by Ruunkur



Series: Divine Ripples [10]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Reincarnation AU, these two are sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:40:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: In a world where dreams tell you of your past life in reverse, Ashe tried not to worry about his choices. And he almost always fails.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Series: Divine Ripples [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659364
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Divine Assurances

**Author's Note:**

> That was a pause that was not meant to be.
> 
> However, yes! I'm back to working on these!

_”You aren’t going to go soft on us, are you boy?”_

_Ashe looked up from his arrow fletching, blinking up at Gwendal with a shake of his head. “No, Sir, I stand with House Rowe.”_

_The man eyed him up and down before he nodded, turning. “Better prepare boy, they’re on their way.”_

_Ashe got up, slinging his quiver over his shoulder and putting in the last arrow. The heat was sweltering, not a place that Ashe had wanted to die. He wanted-_

_It didn’t matter what he wanted. He took up position, watching the Alliance banners come over the ridge. He held up his bow, gripping the wood tightly when his hands started to shake. The battle began, heat crawling up his skin as he let loose arrows, the roar in his ears growing._

_He took a step back as an arrow struck near his feet, his eyes growing wide. While he had looked down, someone had appeared, a sword in hand._

_“Professor.”_

_“Ashe.” Byleth gave him one curt nod, his eyes disant. “You could yield here. Join the Alliance and-”_

_“I can’t.” Ashe swallowed back the words, raising his bow once more. Byleth let out a sigh, lowering their head._

_“We can offer you protection-”_

_“They’ll keep my siblings if I don’t fight, professor. They have no one left!”_

_Byleth gave one single nod, raising their blade and Ashe fumbled, eyes growing wide as he moved to grab the knife at his belt. He heard the Sword of the Creator slice through the air and he cried, feeling the blade-_

“Ashe!”

Ashe jolted from where he had been standing, hopping off the stool and shaking his head.

“Ah, haha, sorry about that, Mary, I was…” He glanced from the books he had been shelving to his manager, clearing his throat.

“Daydreaming again?” Mary raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over her chest.

“Just, thinking is all.”

Mary nodded, clearing her throat. “Well, this young lady needs the section you’ve been daydreaming in front of.”

Ashe let out a small laugh, stepping to the side nervously as he looked at the woman. “Haha, sorry about that, I got… a little lost.”

“Lost about the history of Fodlan?” the woman asked, stepping up to Ashe’s side and looking at the books in front of her.

Ashe rolled his eyes. “You’d be a bit surprised at how… boring it can be.”

“You find it boring?” she asked.

Ashe shook his head. “Not all of it! Just this particular book. It isn’t very…” Ashe hesitated, watching as the woman flipped through it.

“Accurate?” she offered, glancing back at him. “I’m looking for some good resources on the Reunification War of Fodlan.”

Ashe let out a small hum, gaze scanning over the shelf before he pointed out two specific books. “That would be your best bet. What’s the occasion?”

The woman laughed. “Final for my history class. The suggested list was not very helpful, if I’m being honest. The teacher is a bit…”

“Batty?” Ashe offered.

She let out a laugh, brushing back her hair. “That’s one word for it. My name’s Ingrid, what’s yours?”

“It’s… Ashe, pleasure to meet you!” Ashe put out his hand, Ingrid taking it and giving him a firm shake. “Are you in the history program in the local college?”

“Yes! I wanted to do some research on some of my previous memories and it led me here, actually.” Ingrid offered him a vague gesture, Ashe nodding in agreement.

“I hope you can find what you’re looking for, Ingrid!”

“Thank you.”

Ashe watched as Ingrid took his suggested books, heading towards the front of the store. He turned back to his stocking, smiling to himself.

*~*~*~*~*

“Hey, it’s Ashe, right?”

Ashe turned when he heard the voice, blinking to see Ingrid standing behind him. “Yes, hi! Ingrid, right?” Ashe asked, setting the books he had been shelving back on the stack.

Ingrid nodded, smiling at him. “I wanted to thank you for the book recommendations, they helped a lot. And they were a lot more interesting.”

Ashe nodded. “I’m glad it was helpful! How did the paper go?”

“It went well, one of the best ones that the professor had read. How did you find them in the first place?”

Ashe blinked at her, glancing towards the shelf. He could see Mary out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t want to turn Ingrid away either.

“Oh, am I distracting you from work?” Ingrid asked, following his gaze.

Ashe shook his head, smiling at her. “If you don’t mind me stocking while we talk!”

“Of course not!”

Ashe picked up his stack, returning to the shelf. “I found them while I was working here. History in school only briefly touched on the subject and I’ve always had an interest in that era. There’s so much we don’t know and you hardly have anyone that has memories of that time.”

“I think my favorite thing is hearing about the knights and their code!” Ingrid looked at Ashe with a smile, looking over the books.

“If you’re interested in knight stories, I have a few recommendations?” Ashe suggested and Ingrid’s face lit up.

“I would be interested in them! Would you be interested in meeting up outside of work to talk about them?” Ingrid brushed hair out of her face, eyes alight as Ashe nodded.

“Here, I’ll give you my number so we can set up a time.” Ashe rattled off the numbers, Ingrid typing them in her phone. With a quick text shot of fto Ashe, she picked up another book from the history section, turning it over in her hands. After deciding on it, she bid him goodbye, heading for the check out.

*~*~*~*~*

_”You know, I didn’t… want to fight you.”_

_Ashe pressed a hand to his side where the Sword of the Creator had sunk into his flesh. Even with the heat surrounding them, he felt cold._

_Byleth bowed their head. “There is still time to heal you. You could join us, Ashe. Claude would be happy-”_

_“No.” Ashe slid to the ground, drawing in a ragged breath. “This is my… punishment for turning away from the goddess. Soon, I’ll be with the others. My siblings… they’ll be okay.”_

_Byleth knelt in front of Ashe and pressed a hand to his shoulder. “Then, go with peace, Ashe. And know that you will be reborn.”_

_Ashe offered him a weak smile, his eyes sliding shut. He tilted his head back, surprised to feel Byleth there. The sounds of the battle passed over him, his thoughts turning to his siblings once more._

“Honestly, fetching a sword from a lake should not be a way to run a government system.”

Ingrid’s fork clattered against her plate as she spoke, her knife cutting into the meat. She looked up at Ashe, offering him a small smile.

“But, I did enjoy the overarching premise.”

Ashe nodded, eyes flashing in amusement. “There are better tales out there, but King Arthur was what really took off a few years ago. What did you think of the knights of the round table?” His own food was half forgotten as Ingrid considered the question.

“It’s an interesting concept. The knights would have a better grasp of the day to day business that people would need to handle. And, a king having an open ear to everyone means that the people will be more likely to be listened to.”

“Even if the nobles don’t agree?” Ashe asked.

Ingrid’s lips thinned into a line, her eyes hardening. “Then they would better understand the commoners if they were to live like them.”

“But that doesn’t guarantee that the nobles would be willing to change. Even in the Arthur legends, you have nobles that don’t take part in battle. They only learn how to fight to seem more rounded.” Ashe sat back in his chair, watching as Ingrid let out a sigh.

“But, Arthur, as a king, fought alongside his knights. He ran the risk of being killed in battle so his men didn’t have to suffer alone.”

Ashe considered the words as he nodded. “Those are legends, however. Real kings wouldn’t run the risk.”

“But some did.”

“You’re thinking of the reunification war, aren’t you?” Ashe asked.

Ingrid nodded, glancing down at her food. “Claude von Riegan fought alongside his troops, even when victory seemed impossible. Edelgard von Hresvelg started a war and lead her troops in the most prominent battles, even if she was later killed.”

“But that was nearly a thousand years ago,” Ashe pointed out.

Ingrid gave a sharp nod. “It was, but it still happened, didn’t it?”

“I suppose it did.” Ashe pushed a piece of meat across his plate, considering his next words carefully. “Do you believe in the reincarnation stories?”

Ingrid set down her fork full of food, eyeing him thoughtfully. “That’s not polite to ask a lady, you know.”

Ashe looked up at her, opening his mouth but Ingrid just shook her head.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

Ashe blinked but he nodded, taking another bite of food. He finished it slowly, setting his fork down when he was done. The pair had been dating for nearly a year now, something that had blossomed from their frequent book talks and meetups. Even now, it felt natural to talk to Ingrid about anything that crossed his mind.

“I was killed during a battle at Aliell. It was under the flag of the Empire.”

Ingrid let out a low whistle. “You don’t hold back, do you?”

Ashe laughed, though it was awkward as he continued, ”I wasn’t raised… in the Empire, I just ended up there. Count Rowe supported the Empire in their desire to bring the church down.”

“Why didn’t you stay in the Kingdom?”

“Gaspard fell into Count Rowe’s protection, when my adoptive father passed. I… I didn’t agree with what the church had done to Lord Lonato and with the professor being gone, I didn’t have anywhere else to go. My siblings needed to be protected and Count Rowe… was not a kind man.” Ashe fiddled with his fork, Ingrid reaching over and placing her hand on Ashe’s.

“Gronder field, I was shot down from my pegasus during the battle. I was trying to get to Dimitri, but was too far away.” Ingrid’s gaze was distant, her eyes locked onto the past.

“I’m sorry.”

Ingrid shook her head, looking back up at Ashe. “That’s the way battles go, sometimes. You never know if you’re going to win or lose.”

Ashe nodded, glancing down at his plate. “I… I wish I had been there, with his highness.”

Ingrid shook her head. “He would have been better off dead, in the end. He…” Ingrid sighed, lowering her gaze to her food. ‘The fate that Dimitri was given, it shouldn’t have happened.”

“I’m sorry for-”

“It’s not your fault, I… actually had a feeling, when I first started talking with you. But you were just so… fun to talk to and you didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to ruin it.” Ingrid glanced away from Ashe, letting out a sigh.

“I’m thankful for that.” Ashe smiled at her, reaching across the table and resting his hand on her’s. “It’s rare for two people to come from the same time and be able to remeet. I am glad I was able to meet you, Ingrid.”

Ingrid met his gaze, smiling up at him. “Me, too.”

*~*~*~*~*

“I’m going to move back to my hometown, now that college is over. You should come with me.”

Ashe listened to these words, glancing over at Ingrid as she spoke. She offered him a tentative smile, her bangs falling into her face.

“I think I would love that,” Ashe responded. They were sitting on his couch, Ingrid leaning against his shoulder as they watched a movie. Neither of them had found it as interesting as they thought they would, Ingrid finding anything else to talk about to fill the awkward spaces.

“Really?” Ingrid asked.

Ashe nodded, glancing down at her with a smile. “I didn’t want to stay in this town forever and it would be nice to see where you grew up. And, Ingrid, I love you. I wouldn’t want to give up being with you.”

Ingrid’s eyes widened and she smiled, throwing her arms around him. She laughed, hugging him tightly. “I’ll be moving at the end of the semester and-” She took a breath to settle herself, still smiling. “This is going to be great, Ashe, you’ll see!”

Ashe nodded, laughing when Ingrid pulled him up from the couch, eyes dancing. She spun him around, pulling him into a tight hug. He laughed again, returning her hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered, pressing her face into his chest.

*~*~*~*~*

_”It’s the premise of knighthood that we are working towards.”_

_Ashe listened as Ingrid raised her voice, glaring Sylvain down._

_“And I’m having a little-”_

_“Ruining women’s lives by pretending to love them so you can fuck them isn’t having a little bit of fun, Sylvain! It’s a wonder how your parents haven’t locked you in a room yet! Do you know-”_

_Sylvain just laughed over Ingrid’s words, crossing his arms over his chest. “If they locked me away, they couldn’t get kids out of me. That’s all they want me for, anyway.”_

_“Guys-” Ashe began, his own voice raising so he could be heard, “do you think this is something you should be arguing about in the middle of the-”_

_“No.”_

_“Yes, maybe it’ll shame him into behaving properly.” Ingrid gave Sylvain a glare over her food, her fork slamming into the meat._

_Sylvain rolled his eyes. “We’re just having a bit of fun-”_

_“Your fun is going to ruin someone’s life!” Ingrid snapped and Ashe sighed. The dining hall had fallen silent, everyone staring across the hall to listen to the blooming argument._

_“At least I know how to remove the stick from my-”_

_“Guys!” Ashe snapped, both of them looking startled as he sat back down, looking at his food. They exchanged a glance, Sylvain getting up._

_“I don’t think I’m hungry anymore.”_

_“And usually you’re such a pig, Sylvain.”_

_“At least I don’t-”_

_“Sylvain.”_

_Sylvain fell silent as Dimitri joined their table, a plate of his own food in his hands._

_“I’m leaving,” Sylvain muttered, turning towards the door. Ashe let out a sigh, glancing towards Dimitri._

_“I’m sorry, your highness.” Ingrid moved to bow, Dimitri letting out a sigh._

_“Please, dispense with the formalities, Ingrid. We are all equal here.”_

_Ashe laughed as Ingrid opened her mouth to argue, shutting it and looking away. Ashe looked down at his own food, appetite depleted._

_Dimitri smiled when Ingrid made no further comment, turning his gaze to Ashe. “How are you this evening, Ashe?”_

_Ashe offered him a smile. “I’m doing well, your hi- Dimitri,” he tried. The young man smiled at the use of his name, nodding at Ashe. Dinner descended into silence, Ashe getting up when he finished eating himself. He bid everyone good night, heading towards his room._

_“Ashe!”_

_Ashe stopped when Byleth called his name, turning to them with a surprised glance. “Hello, professor, how can I help you?”_

_Byleth cleared their throat, gesturing towards a tea table. “I would like to speak with you, if you have a moment? Over tea?”_

_Ashe glanced over his shoulder before he nodded, following Byleth to the table. “What can I do for you, professor?”_

_Byleth poured them tea, setting the pot down. “It’s mint.”_

_“Ah, thank you, professor! Mint is one of my favorites.” He picked up the cup, looking at it before he took a sip. “It’s delicious, thank you.”_

_Byleth nodded, taking a sip of their own tea. “I was wondering if you would be interested in joining the Golden Deers.”_

_Ashe frowned at him._

_“There are a lot of great archers in the Golden Deer. It would be a good learning experience.”_

_Ashe blinked at Byleth, judging the professor. “But, why me?” he asked._

_“There are many great archers in the Golden Deer. You would fit in.” Byleth took another sip of their tea and glanced away. “You do not have to accept-”_

_“I would be honored,” Ashe responded._

_Byleth nodded, setting their empty cup down. “I’ll finalize the transfer and you’ll be starting with us at the start of the week. I look forward to teaching you, Ashe.”_

_Ashe nodded, smiling at Byleth and standing. He finished his tea and set his cup down. “Thank you, Byleth.”_

_“Of course.”_

*~*~*~*~*

“The Golden Days?”

Ashe nodded as Ingrid looked up from the flyer, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s it about?” she asked, setting the paper down.

Ashe fidgeted in front of her. “It’s about others who have the same memories as we do.”

“Others…”

“From the war,” Ashe murmured, “I heard about it in passing when I went to that one coffee shop that you like so much. Lorenz, the man who took over the tea house.”

Ingrid pinched the bridge of her nose before she nodded, setting the flyer down. ‘It couldn’t hurt to at least go once, see what it’s like.”

Ashe lit up at her agreement, smiling. “Next meeting is tonight, we don’t have to call ahead or anything, we can just… show up, from my understanding.”

“I can’t wait.” Ingrid glanced down at the paper, looking back up at Ashe. “Do you know of anyone who might be there?”

Ahse tilted his head before shaking it, frowning. “I didn’t think it would have been polite to ask. Are you looking for someone?”

Ingrid sighed, setting the paper aside. “More like avoiding someone. Though, I doubt he would go to something like this.”

“Dimitri?” Ashe asked.

Ingrid glanced away. “Dimitri… he disappeared in Seventy Five. Rodrigue had never been able to track down what happened to him. I’m worried about running into Felix.”

“Ah.” Ashe glanced away, looking towards a picture on their wall.

Ingrid shook her head. “I haven’t spoken to Felix or Sylvain in several years. I got… busy with college and we drifted apart.”

Ashe nodded, watching her before he decided to let it be. “So, you’ll come with me?”

“Of course!” Ingrid shifted, sitting up from her spot on the couch. Her hair was short, shaved on the sides and in the back. Ashe reached forward, touching her cheek before he pulled back. “It’ll be fun.”

Ingrid nodded, settling back in her spot. “I hope so,” she agreed.

Ashe reached over, taking her head. “I’m glad it was you, Ingrid.”

Ingrid glanced at him, frowning. “For what?” she asked.

“I’m glad I found you, when I did. Life has been so much better with you here.” Ashe reached over, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers.

“Is there anyone you miss?” Ingrid asked, turning to him.

Ashe paused, frowning at the question. “There are… people I miss, of course. My siblings, for one, but… I never thought I would meet anyone from… the war. It’s war, you know? And...”

Ingrid nodded, looking down at their hands and rubbing her thumb over the back of his. “Did you have any siblings?”

“One older sister, but… I don’t know if I’ll ever find my siblings. I… wondered, often, if they made it out of the war.” Ashe looked away, Ingrid smiling at him.

“They had you to learn from. I’m sure, if Byleth was able to, they would have helped where they could.”

Ashe nodded. “You’re right, Byleth… would have tired, if they weren’t too busy.” They settled down once more, turning to watch the sunset from their window. The apartment was quiet, Ingrid moving to rest her head against Ashe’s shoulder.

“I am glad it was you,” Ingrid murmured, closing her eyes.

Ashe smiled, looking down at her. “Me, too.” He reached up with his free hand, brushing strands of hair from her face, happy to just be there.


End file.
